What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 5)

by Cathryn Fox

  It gave Luke even more hope. He wanted to write music that was as important as their first album. Being with Amy, finally admitting his own pain and secret, and watching life around him in a different way gave Luke a chance to really explore what he wanted to write about. He didn’t want to write an album about touring and partying. He wanted to write an album that spoke to the fans and brought them on the same journey Luke found himself on.

  The place he and Frank finally found was just thirty minutes east of where Luke lived. It was a beautiful recording studio, mostly used for small jobs, but the size and ability would be exactly what Fallen Tuesday needed. The moment Luke walked through the studio, he gave the thumbs up to Frank. That put Frank on the phone with the record company to set everything up. Luke stood in the middle of the floor and looked around. The bright lights, the open room, and the pea ce made him shiver with excitement. It would still be a month, at least, before Luke would attempt to sing. Even then, he would have to listen to his body. He couldn’t risk hurting his throat again. The urge to sing hadn’t gone away, and if anything, it had only gotten worse. The time spent resting his voice only made Luke want it more. To watch his dreams slip away forever opened his eyes to the importance of time and taking care of himself. And there was still a chance that Luke would never be able to sing or return to his old voice.

  Sitting alone in his apartment, Luke frowned as she looked around. It was plain and boring. He bought a couch, a table with chairs, a bed, a dresser, and a TV with a stand. That’s all he needed to survive and part of him didn’t want anything more because he hoped one day, very soon, he and Amy would have their own place together. Whether it was in her apartment, his apartment, or a place they decided on together, Luke didn’t care. He just wanted to have and hold Amy each and every day.

  The band was late. Luke looked at the clock and couldn’t control his nerves. There was so much to still plan and execute. When the knock at the door came, Luke jumped up and went to the door. He opened it and started to laugh. It he hadn’t laughed right then, he would have cried.

  Mack stepped into the apartment, decked out in black leather, looking relaxed and at peace with the world.

  “Brother,” Mack said, hugging Luke.

  Gray came next, looking taller than Luke remembered.

  “Gray,” Luke said. “How’s it going?”

  “It’s going, my man, it’s going.”

  Jake and Trent came in last, looking refreshed. Everyone looked refreshed. Everyone looked relieved to be back together.

  “Nice place,” Mack said. “Little bigger than a tour bus.”

  “Yeah,” Luke said. “I needed my own place for now.”

  “Things going well with the cook?” Gray asked.

  “She’s a chef,” Luke said. “Things are going very well. I’m, uh, really into her.”

  “I bet,” Trent quipped.

  “Yeah, not like that. I’m falling for her.”

  Mack touched his chest. “Wow. My heart’s still beating and Luke is in love with a woman. What a world we live in now.”

  “How’s your throat?” Gray asked. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and looked at it. He shook his head and curled his lip.

  “My throat is better,” Luke said. “Everything okay with you?”

  Gray tossed his cell phone to the table and nodded. “As good as it’ll get. Tell me about your throat.”

  Luke saw that all eyes were upon him. “Well, it’s getting better. I mean there’s nothing else I can do about it. I’ve been resting. No singing. Just doing the radio interviews, writing lyrics, thinking about the album. Did Frank tell you about the studio?”

  “Yeah,” Mack said. “How convenient that it’s right around here.”

  “You guys okay with that?” Luke asked.

  “I don’t care,” Gray said. “I want to get into a studio and record. I want to play. I want to be together again, guys. Do our thing.”

  “I’m okay with that,” Trent said. “I’ve been writing a lot of music lately.”

  “Same here,” Jake said. “We probably have enough music between all of us for an album.”

  “I love it,” Luke said. The room quieted down and Luke saw an opportunity to say something that was on his mind. “Not that I want to go backwards here… but I need to say something.”

  “Oh boy,” Mack said.

  “Shut up and sit down,” Luke said.

  Mack grabbed a chair and sat down. Luke looked at the guys he met when he was still technically a kid. The guys he wrote with, peformed with, traveled with, signed a record deal with, toured with.

  “I wanted to apologize again for everything,” Luke said. “I was caught up in the moment, the tour, the fans. I should have known better than to push myself like I did. I just want you to know that I meant well by it. I thought if we pulled out on the tour everything would come to an end for us. I wanted to just get through those last couple shows…”

  “You told us this already,” Gray said. He stepped forward and grabbed Luke’s shoulder. “It’s okay, man. It’s really okay. All we cared about was you, Luke. We can’t live with secrets like that, can we?”

  “No,” Luke said. “We can’t.”

  “With that out of the way,” Mack said, “I have to ask a question.”

  “What’s that?” Luke asked.

  “Are you staying put here?”

  “I like it here,” Luke said. “For the obvious reason. Besides that, I really do like it here. It’s quiet and calm. I’m close enough to an airport to fly when I need. I have a place to live, a studio to record in, and a woman to come home to.”

  “I take it we all need a place here then?” Mack asked.

  “You guys can do whatever you feel is right,” Luke said. “Frank booked the studio for us. We’re ready to go when we want.”

  “That’s great,” Gray said. “I’ll sleep in a car if I have to.”

  Luke saw something in Gray’s eyes. Before he could say something, Gray went back to the table and grabbed his cell phone. He looked at the screen and shook his head again.

  “Gray, are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m good,” Gray said. “I had a spat with my brother the other day. Gave him maybe too much of a piece of my mind and he took off. I’ve been trying to find him since then and can’t. He’ll turn up. He’ll run out of money and want food.”

  “You good to be here?” Mack asked. “I don’t think we’re in any big rush right now.”

  “I want to be here right now,” Gray said. “I want to go see the studio. I need inspiration. I need to walk away from this.” Gray pointed to his phone.

  “Okay, man,” Mack said. “We got you then.”

  “Here’s the deal,” Luke said. “I have to go see Amy for a little bit. She had a little trouble with something and we’re working out some details.”

  “Trouble?” Mack asked.

  “Long story. I’ll tell you later. I’m heading over to her restaurant. You guys want to come for a bite?”

  “I’m with Gray,” Trent said. “I want to see the studio. I want to get an instrument in my hands and play something.”

  “You cool with that, Luke?” Mack asked.

  “Of course. Frank said our stuff would be here by today. You can go check and make sure he didn’t mess anything up.”

  “Excellent,” Jake said. “Let’s bolt.”

  Luke hugged each guy and watched the four leave the apartment. The smile on his face was wide. They were a band, they were brothers. They would record again and get back on stage. Hopefully sooner than later.

  But first, Luke had business.

  He took his phone out and placed a call.

  “Hello, this is Luke Nolan… yeah, okay, great. I just wanted to check and make sure everything was ready to go. Okay. That works perfect. I’m actually heading there now. I can’t wait to give this to her…”

  “I’m sorry it had to be like this.”

  “No, you’re not.”


  “Yeah, maybe not. Someone takes money from me, I expect it back.”

  “I’ve already told you everything I can about that. You have your money now, Denny.”

  “You’re lucky I didn’t charge interest. The least you could do is sleep with me one last time.”

  “Goodbye, Denny.”

  Amy rested her head against the back of the restaurant. For a split second she had money from Uncle Tom, an opportunity to grow and start her own business, and a chance to finally step from the shadows and become her own person. When she called Denny and told him she had his money he didn’t believe her. He thought it was a trap to set him up. Their last encounter lasted only a few minutes and Denny said he would be in touch if and when the check Amy gave him bounced. The check didn’t bounce. It cleared from Uncle Tom’s bank to Amy’s and then the same to Denny’s account.

  It hurt to give that money to Denny but it obviously was the right thing to do. Amy didn’t deserve that money, no matter what Denny had done to her or threatened. She wasn’t raised to be that kind of woman and she never wanted to end up that way.

  Luke getting his own apartment to show care and respect for Amy made her finally accept that she had fallen over the ledge for Luke. She’d been flirting with that edge for sometime, but now she loved him. She admitted it to herself as she stared in the mirror one night after a shower. Here she was, a head chef at her uncle’s restaurant just outside Syracuse, in love with the mega rockstar lead singer of Fallen Tuesday.

  Each time she thought about it, Amy smiled.

  Amy heard a knock and looked over her shoulder. Uncle Tom stood in the doorway.

  “You okay?”

  “I’m great,” Amy said. “A little tired. Had a late night here and came in early this morning.”

  “Glad we got that order finished,” Uncle Tom said.

  “Me too. Thanks for letting me stock up on supplies for more desserts.”

  “Not a problem,” Uncle Tom said. “You’re second in charge, Amy. You have an idea, tell me. You have a suggestion, tell me. You need anything, tell me. We have to keep our doors open to each other.”

  “I know that,” Amy said. “Thank you.”

  “Haven’t heard you talk about that guy lately,” Uncle Tom said. “That moron with the bike.”

  Amy nodded. “He’s gone, for good this time.”

  “Best news I’ve heard in a long time. How’s your guy friend?”

  “Good,” Amy said. “He’s staying here. In this area, for a while. The band is going to record new music.”

  “Amazing how fate works,” Uncle Tom said. “You could open a burger and hotdog stand to impress a girl and end up with a restaurant like this. Or you could meet a musician and fall head over heels.”

  Amy’s cheeks blushed.

  Uncle Tom winked and went back to the restaurant. Amy took more time to herself, relaxing and thinking. There was a feeling in the pit of her stomach that left her uneasy. Maybe it was the idea that Uncle Tom had given all that money back to Denny. Maybe it was the idea that Amy actually considered opening a bakery before paying back her debt. Maybe it was that she didn’t feel like she deserved Luke.

  Another knock sounded and Amy turned, expecting to see Uncle Tom or Jeff needing her. Instead, it was Luke standing in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. Amy had become obsessed with what Luke wore because of how sexy he looked in everything he wore.

  “Luke,” she said. “I thought you were with the band today.”

  “I was,” Luke said. “We met and talked. They’re heading to the studio for a bit to look around. I wanted to come here and talk to you first.”

  “Here I am,” Amy said.

  Luke came to her and placed his hands to her hips. He kissed her, sending warm chills through Amy’s body. All it took was a kiss from Luke to make the entire world seem right.

  “Have you heard from Denny at all?” Luke asked with his forehead touching Amy’s.

  “Not at all,” Amy said. “It’s done now. He got what he wanted.”

  “I’m sorry you went through that,” Luke said.

  “I’m not. I did that to myself. I had to fix it.”

  Luke moved back but kept his hands on Amy’s hips. “I said I came to talk to you about something.”

  “You did say that,” Amy said.

  “When I offered to help you with Denny, you refused.”

  “Are you mad about that?”

  Luke shook his head. “Not at all. I think you were right. If you took that money it would have been something between us.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. You did tell me though I needed to invest in something.”

  “I was just talking,” Amy said.

  “But the thing is, Amy, I hate that money. I told you that and I meant it. I didn’t asked to be paid from Chasing Cross for those shows. They did it to be fair. It almost cost me my career… and for all I know, it may still have. I haven’t tried singing and can’t for a little while. When I do try, I may have no voice or I may hurt it again. This can define me. The money was given to me out of respect. I wanted to do the same with it.”

  “You invested it? In what?”

  “Something local,” Luke said. “Something I can watch grow and be proud of.”

  “Like what?”

  Luke produced a black box and Amy let out a gasp. She assumed it was an engagement ring. Luke had invested in a diamond ring to give to Amy. That’s what he meant when he said about growing and being proud. It would be he and Amy together, in marriage. But then Amy noticed the box was bigger than a diamond ring box.

  “Open it,” he said.

  “What is this?”

  “Just open it, Amy.”

  Amy opened the box. She touched the key and looked at Luke. “I’m confused…”

  Was it a key to his apartment? Was it a key to a house he bought? What was it?

  “Okay, come with me then,” Luke said. “I want to show you something and you can’t get upset with me.”

  “I can’t promise anything,” Amy said.

  Luke put his hand out and Amy took it. Their fingers interlocked and Luke led the way. The first thing she saw was a small crew of people working on the building next to the restaurant.

  “Why are you showing me this?” Amy asked. “Someone bought it.” Amy swallowed and had the urge to cry. She knew the building wouldn’t stand empty forever. But why was Luke showing her this? “I don’t get it.”

  A man with a ladder paused and put the ladder on the ground. He waved at Luke and walked away.

  “What is this?” Amy asked.

  Luke took the key from the box and placed it in Amy’s hand. He walked forward and turned. “Go open your new bakery, Amy.”

  The words didn’t register at first. It took Amy three times looking between the key and Luke to make the connection.

  “What did you do, Luke?” she asked.

  “I invested that Chasing Cross money. I bought this building and it’s becoming a bakery. Since I can’t even bake brownies from a box, someone needs to do everything. Someone smart. Someone beautiful.”

  Luke smiled. Amy touched her cheek as a tear fell from her eye. She slowly stepped forward, unsure what to look at. Luke or the building. When she was close enough to Luke she fell forward into his arms.

  “Why? Why did you do this? I’ll owe you forever.”

  “That’s the deal then,” Luke said.

  “What?”

  “Amy, I did this because I wanted to. I’m not giving money away. I invested in you. In your dream. You’ll make it all work, I know it. And yes, you’re going to owe me… like you just said, forever. You owe me forever, Amy.”

  Luke took Amy’s hand and placed it to this chest. His other hand touched her face, wiping a tear away.

  “I’m in love with you,” Luke said.

  “Luke, I’m falling in love with you too,” Amy said. “I really am.”

  “So then there’s nothing to worry about,” Luke
said.

  “There actually is,” Amy said.

  “What’s that?”

  Amy broke away from Luke, leaving him lingering for a kiss. She walked to the building and slid the key into the lock. She turned and felt the deadbolt engage. She smiled. She turned it again and felt the door unlock. This was really happening. This was her building her business. She’d work at the restaurant and the bakery. Her life would be busy as ever. She’d have Luke by her side. He’d write and record with Fallen Tuesday and tour the world.

  It was all so much at once.

  “Amy, what else do you need?” Luke asked as he stepped up behind her.

  She looked over her shoulder at him. “I need a menu. There’s so much to think about. So much to bake. To practice. To taste test…”

  Luke licked his lips. He came down to Amy’s mouth and kissed her. The kiss lasted for a few hot seconds out on the cold street.

  “That tasted damn good to me,” Luke said.

  Amy smiled. “Then I guess we’re off to a great start.”

  Luke had been writing lyrics faster than his hand could go. It felt like ideas were coming and slipping away so fast. The band sounded great in the studio. Writing riff after riff, perfecting a sound that would certainly keep Fallen Tuesday on top of the charts. Everything they had sent to the record company had made everyone happy. Frank and the band decided to release the snippet samples of new music that kept the fans happy.

  Amy had been working some long hours and late nights, getting everything together for the bakery. If all went well, she’d be open by late spring. So far everything she had made were the best desserts and baked goods Luke ever tasted. He had brought food to the studio everyday the band recorded. Everyone wanted Amy’s food and Luke knew his investment was one of the best decisions of his life.

  The band stopped playing to take a break.

  Mack came from the studio, sweating. Gray, Trent, and Jake bumped shoulders, talking about the song they had just been playing.

  “Sounds good,” Luke said.

  “Yeah, it does,” Mack said. “Feels good too. I was worried that things would sound processed.”